Test of Faith
by Riana Mustang
Summary: Xanatos lures Qui-Gon and his new apprentice Rehteah to Telos and kidnaps Rehteah. Can Qui-Gon rescue her in time, or will he lose her forever? *shrugs* Evil plot bunny+Queen of Sap+insistant muse=this.


Test of Faith  
by: Celestia Vitaria *a.k.a. Xani's Muse*  
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, nor do I own the Xanatos in this one. The Xanatos in this one is the one who belongs to Jude Watson, not to be confused with the character I created for my series. Rehteah, Garin, Jeric and Saria do belong to me, however. And the Spiritling is my creation too. DO NOT STEAL ANYTHING OR I WILL BE EXTREMELY TICKED OFF!!! That's happened to me before and I did not appreciate it.  
Summary: Xanatos lures Qui-Gon and his new apprentice Rehteah to Telos and kidnaps Rehteah. Can Qui-Gon rescue her in time, or will he lose her forever?  
(A/N: //=thoughts and **=telepathy. oh, and ~=dream sequence.)  
  
//Something's wrong// Rehteah thought to herself as she followed her Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, off the transport and out into the open air of Telos.   
  
They had been sent here to investigate a mysterious distress call that had been intercepted by the High Jedi Council only two days ago. Rehteah hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now she couldn't shake the sudden feeling of impending doom. She glanced up at Qui-Gon and could sense through their bond that he sensed something amiss as well. For a moment, she wasn't certain if she should mention it or not, but finally she spoke up, her voice quiet enough so that only Qui-Gon would hear her.  
  
"Master?" she said.  
  
He looked down at her. "Yes, Padawan?" he asked.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this, Master. I don't know what it is, really, but I can't shake it. It's something elusive, and yet, nearby," she answered.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded his agreement. "I sense it as well. We must be cautious," he warned.  
  
Rehteah nodded. "Yes, Master," she said as she followed him, somehow managing to keep up with his much longer stride.  
  
After about an hour of walking, they finally reached an old, seemingly abandoned building where the distress signal's origin had been pinpointed. Both Jedi slowly entered, ready to fly into action at any second if necessary.   
  
The interior of the building was extremely old and decrepit, and looked as though it was abandoned, or at least it seemed that way. Neither Master nor Padawan were taking any chances though. Rehteah stayed close to Qui-Gon as they moved through the wreckage, reaching out with the Force to see if there was anyone or anything nearby that would be a threat.  
  
//Reminds me of that horror vid I was watching the other night// she thought to herself, unable to repress a shudder.  
  
"What do you think happened here, Master?" she asked, only half aware that she had even spoken the words out loud.  
  
"I don't know, Rehteah," he said, turning towards her.  
  
Rehteah was about to speak, but she suddenly felt a wave of darkness flow over her for just a brief instant. Her entire body went rigid and she let her hand drift towards her lightsaber, her blue-gray eyes going wide in apprehension. She barely noticed when Qui-Gon rested his hand on her shoulder, as she was otherwise occupied with staring off into nothingness, seemingly able to see something that Qui-Gon could not.  
  
"Are you all right, little one?" he asked, alert for whoever or whatever it was that had startled his apprentice.  
  
She didn't answer, but instead pulled away from him and started walking towards the other end of the building's remains. Someone or something was there, and whatever it was, they weren't interested in being helpful.   
  
A split second before the attack came, Qui-Gon's danger sense screamed at him and he rushed towards the young girl, barely managing to block the lightsaber blade that came far too close. For just a moment, crimson and emerald clashed, and the Jedi Master finally saw who it was that had attacked them as Rehteah stumbled backwards. Time seemed to stand still as he looked into the eyes of the one he never thought he would see again, the one who he had once thought of as a son and who had betrayed him, but he should have known better.  
  
"Xanatos," Qui-Gon said, letting that single word hang in the air between them as Rehteah joined in the fray.  
  
Xanatos laughed sinisterly, a laugh that sent chills of revulsion down Rehteah's spine. Xani spared her a brief glance, but just that brief look was enough to let her know right then and there that things were not going to go well. She shivered when she saw the scar on his right cheek.  
  
"I'm surprised you even remember me, Qui-Gon. I thought you would have forgotten the one you betrayed, but it seems I was wrong," he smirked.  
  
Rehteah glanced over at Qui-Gon, confused, as Master and Padawan fought side by side. Xanatos noticed it and grinned like the cat that had just cornered the canary. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. But she pushed aside her fear and confusion as she blocked a blow aimed at her side.  
  
"I see you have a new little brat. How long until you betray her, too, hmm?" he taunted.  
  
Outraged at Xanatos' arrogant accusations, she cursed in her native tongue and lunged at him, trying to drive him back. "You're the one who betrayed him, slime bag!" she shouted.  
  
Xanatos laughed again as he easily blocked her strike. "Is that how you heard it? You lied to her, Qui-Gon. It was you who betrayed me, do you remember?" he snarled, lunging at Qui-Gon with a blow that the Jedi Master barely managed to block in time, it came so quick.  
  
Sensing Rehteah's obvious distress at what Xanatos was saying, Qui-Gon attempted to distract him from her. "That's enough, Xanatos. Leave her out of this," he said.  
  
He smirked. "Oh, and why should I?" he remarked as he backflipped over them both.   
  
As they turned to fight him again, fanning out a bit to try and surround him, Xanatos pulled an evasive maneuver and knocked Rehteah's lightsaber from her hand and kicked her hard in her side and sent her flying backwards. He reached her within a few seconds though, just as she landed on the ground, the wind having been knocked out of her.   
  
"NO!" Qui-Gon shouted and rushed towards them.  
  
But as he did so, Xanatos grabbed the girl roughly by the wrist and twisted her arm behind her back, holding her. She struggled wildly, but the instant she started trying to escape, Xani brought his still-ignited blade up and held it to her throat. She gasped and leaned her head back against his chest, trying to avoid getting burned. Qui-Gon stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Rehteah struggling in Xanatos' arms, trying to avoid the crimson blade and escape.  
  
"Let her go! It's me you want!" Qui-Gon shouted, tightening his grip on his lightsaber.  
  
Xanatos shook his head. "What, and give up my obvious advantage? I think not. I hold this girl's life in my hands, Qui-Gon. You come one step closer and I will kill her," he threatened.  
  
Rehteah gasped as her fear rose higher, letting out a scream of pain as the blade just barely touched the delicate flesh of her pale throat, burning her. She tried to lean back further, but it was no use. She looked at Qui-Gon with pain-filled eyes, unshed tears coming unbidden to those blue-gray depths.  
  
"Master, please, help me," she said quietly.  
  
"For too long, you've hounded me, Qui-Gon. But it seems that I have the upper hand this time," Xanatos commented, starting to move backwards slowly with his hostage. "And you must admit that the false distress signal was a rather nice touch."  
  
"Let her go. If you release her, you have my word that I will not pursue you," Qui-Gon said.  
  
Xanatos shook his head. "As tempting as that sounds, no. She comes with me. If you come after us before my ship leaves the system, I won't hesitate to kill your little brat. After that? Well, I'll be looking forward to it," he said.  
  
Sensing Qui-Gon's frustration through their bond, Rehteah managed to push aside her own pain and fear for a moment and gave Qui-Gon a look of determination and utter trust in him. She knew he would come for her. And she could hold out until he did.  
  
*I'll be all right, Master. I'll wait for you* she sent to him.  
  
*Hold on, little one. I promise I'll come for you* he sent back.  
  
*I know* she answered as Xanatos continued to back away from Qui-Gon, using her as a shield.  
  
When they were out of the building and out of Qui-Gon's sight, Xanatos bound her hands and pulled a syringe from the folds of his robe. A moment later she felt the sting of a needle poking her in the neck. She cried out and tried to struggle again as it was removed, but whatever had been in it was quick to take its toll on her. She stumbled and nearly fell. The last thing she saw was Xanatos' cold blue eyes, eyes that were nothing like the kind eyes of Qui-Gon. Then the darkness claimed her.  
*****************************************************************************************************  
  
When she awoke later, she found herself lying on a soft bed. She shook her head to try and clear it, but she couldn't. Scared, groggy and confused, she sat up, then lay back down again almost immediately, having become dizzyheaded. The room was silent, except for the soft sound of a ship's engines. What was going on? She couldn't remember.  
  
Just then, the door opened and Xanatos glided into the room with an almost feline grace, his dark cape flowing out behind him like black wings. Rehteah backed away as he approached, but very quickly realized that she had nowhere to go. She stared at him with wide, frightened eyes and her breathing became shallow with her fear as she pressed herself back against the wall as if wishing to disappear.  
  
Xanatos knelt down in front of her, grabbing her face roughly with one hand and forcing her to meet his gaze. She did so reluctantly, resisting the urge to haul off and spit in his face. He gave her an evil grin and again she shivered.  
  
"Please...please, let me go, please. You have no right to keep me prisoner," she whimpered fearfully. She was still out of it from whatever he had injected into her earlier and scared half to death.  
  
He ignored her pleas. "Enjoying your accommodations, pet?" he taunted.  
  
"No. Please, let me go."  
  
"I don't think so," he said, rocking back on his heels.  
  
Rehteah tried to lunge at him, but he sensed it coming before the girl could even make a move, and he quickly moved out of her way, watching as she flew forwards, barely managing to catch herself. He stood up and pulled her roughly to her feet. She started to back away, seeing the angry fire in his eyes, but he grabbed her, slapping her hard across the face, letting go of her as he did so. She hadn't seen the blow coming and it stunned her. She fell backwards onto the floor, touching gingerly the spot where she had been struck. It burned slightly, and she winced in pain, refusing to show anymore of a reaction than that.  
  
"Don't try that again, young one," he said threateningly as he turned and left the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.   
  
Rehteah watched him leave, moving back against the wall as far as she could. There she sat huddled with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. Tears streamed down her face, only partially from the pain in her cheek. She buried her face in her arms, and her red-gold hair fell around her face, shielding her like a veil of fire.  
  
*Please hurry, Master* she sent through their bond, hoping desperately against hope that he would still be able to hear her. But she needn't have worried about that.  
  
*Hold on, Little One. I'm coming* he answered.  
  
By now the adrenaline that had been rushing through her was long gone, and she felt herself starting to slip into unconsciousness again, exhausted from all that she had been through. She knew it wasn't over yet, though she had no idea what Xanatos was plotting, other than Qui-Gon's down fall, and quite possibly her own if he didn't try to turn her to the Dark Side first.   
  
*Hurry* was all she got out before she let herself fall back into a restless sleep.  
*****************************************************************************************************  
  
Freakish dreams haunted her as she slept. ~Images of a dark world, backwards and morbid. She saw Xanatos and her Master, engaged in a lightsaber battle. She tried to rush towards them to help, but found that she was paralyzed. She couldn't even cry out to either of them, as her voice had frozen. Helpless and desperate, she watched as Xanatos continued to gain the upper hand in the fight. Finally he managed to back Qui-Gon against the wall and disarm him. Rehteah felt the bile rising in her throat and the fear rising in her soul. She watched in horror as Xani gave Qui-Gon a devious grin, then plunged his crimson blade through her Master's chest, killing him almost instantly.~  
  
"NOOOOOO!" she screamed in terror.  
  
Suddenly her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. Wide-eyed, she glanced around, only to realize that she was back in the bedchamber on board a ship. Tears again streamed down her face as she shifted positions so she was once again sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs, and her face buried in her arms. Her slender body trembled almost violently with her sobs.  
  
"Master, where are you?" she whispered.  
  
Just then she realized that she could no longer hear the gentle humming of the ship's engines. She sat up, her entire body going totally rigid. She glanced towards the door just as Xanatos walked in, his cape swirling behind him like the black wings of some twisted, fallen angel.   
  
"What do you want?" she asked, slowly becoming just a little bit bolder as the sedative in her system began to wear off.  
  
"Patience, pet. You'll see soon enough," Xanatos said, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her roughly to her feet.   
  
Again he bound her hands together so she couldn't try anything. It wouldn't have done her any good anyway, as her lightsaber was missing. Reluctantly, she followed him out of the ship, having no other choice in the matter.   
  
Once outside, Xanatos closed the ramp and secured the ship so it could not be stolen. As he did so, Rehteah took the opportunity to get some idea as to her surroundings. A slight wind blew around them, tugging at her hair and robes. The ground was almost completely covered in grasses, but there were a few cobblestone paths leading off somewhere in the distance. Off to the side a few meters, she saw what appeared to be a graveyard. She shivered as she realized that it *was* a graveyard. She turned back towards her captor and found him staring at her, an evil gleam in those icy sapphire depths.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Necropolis," Xanatos answered.  
  
Rehteah shuddered involuntarily. She'd heard of this place before. The name roughly translated to "city of the dead." She'd also heard of the legends that surrounded the planet, but had never thought anything of them. Now she wasn't quite so sure. The place practically reeked of darkness. She never had the chance to say anything, though, because a stranger in dark robes that completely concealed their appearance came towards them, gesturing to Xanatos in greeting.   
  
"I trust everything is arranged?" Xanatos asked.  
  
The figure nodded. "Yes, come with me," he said.   
  
"Excellent. Get moving, girl," Xanatos said, pushing her forward roughly.  
  
With no other choice, she reluctantly followed Xanatos and his mysterious contact, shivering again as she realized where they were going. The cemetery. A strange darkness and sense of impending doom flooded over her as they entered the gates, stopping in front of a crypt in the middle of the graveyard. Without so much as a word, the hooded figure pulled open the door. It was completely dark inside, but the moonlight allowed her to see the steep staircase that led down into the crypt itself.  
  
Xanatos nodded and handed the stranger a substantial amount of cash. The figure bowed and just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone again. Xanatos paused only long enough to ignite his lightsaber, the crimson blade casting eerie shadows across his far-too-pale skin. He dragged her into the crypt, staying behind her as they made their way down the stairs to make sure she didn't try to escape. About half-way down, Xanatos used the Force to close the crypt doors behind them, refusing to leave behind any evidence that there was anyone here.  
  
After a few moments, they started walking again. As they continued down the stairway, Rehteah began to wonder idly if there was even an end to it. She got her answer after a few more minutes, though, as they finally reached the bottom. It was even darker down here than it had been at the top, if that were even possible. The crimson light of Xanatos' lightsaber blade was the only light, and it cast eerie shadows everywhere. On top of that, she could sense something beyond the door that they were now standing in front of. Her fear started to rise again, but she pushed it aside with great difficulty, watching as Xanatos opened the door.  
  
"Now what?" she asked as she was shoved inside roughly.  
  
Xanatos again gave her that evil smile. "Trust me, you'll find out soon enough." Then he glanced into the room, speaking to whoever or whatever was lurking in the shadows there. "There, you see? Do I not always deliver what I promise?"  
  
Behind her, Rehteah heard something answer, the sound more like that of the moan of the disembodied than an actual voice. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end and she gasped softly, her entire body going totally rigid.   
  
"Yessss," came the answer.  
  
Xanatos nodded. "Remember our deal," he said.  
  
"Yessss, of courssse, Xanatosssss," the voice moaned again.  
  
Apparently satisfied, he shut the door in Rehteah's face, then turned and walked away. Terrified now, the girl whirled towards the sound of the voice, but for a long moment saw nothing. Suddenly she felt something sharp pierce her delicate flesh and a transparent, ghostly figure appeared beside her. She screamed in pain and struggled to get away, but the thing had a grip like iron.  
  
"STOP! PLEASE, LET ME GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she cried out desperately.   
  
After a few minutes of this torture, she felt herself weakening, and she realized what this creature was. A Spiritling. They were a mythical race of creatures who, although they seemed small and helpless, were quite the contrary. They were especially attracted to those who were Force-sensitive, mainly because they drained the very life itself out of those Force-sensitives who were unfortunate enough to cross paths with a Spiritling.   
  
Just when she thought she could take no more, the creature's grip on her suddenly loosened as it dropped her to the floor quite unceremoniously. She glanced up, trying to stand, but she couldn't. She was too weak from the assault and collapsed back to the cold stone floor, drifting into blissful unconsciousness.  
*****************************************************************************************************  
  
She was trapped in a living nightmare.  
  
The Spiritling had attacked her several times in the last few hours, although at times she swore that there was more than one. She didn't know how much more her body would be able to endure before it finally just gave out. As it was, she would have gladly welcomed oblivion rather than be fed upon by parasites time and time again. But Xanatos saw to it that she was denied even that.  
  
He came to her a few times, channeling his dark side energy into her to bolster her strength. It unnerved her, and she fought it, but she had little choice in the matter.  
  
Xanatos knelt behind her on the floor, holding her dispassionately against him as he channeled his energy into her. She struggled, trying to shove him away, but it was useless. Every time she did, he only tightened his grip on her.  
  
"Stop struggling, you little fool," he snapped irritably.  
  
She squirmed in his arms, trying to break free, and he suddenly intensified his attack on her until the power transfer became painful. She cried out, squeezing her eyes shut to hold back tears. It felt as though her entire body had become a raging fire of hatred. Finally he eased up and the pain lessened.  
  
"See? I can make this painful for you, but I'm not. Consider yourself lucky," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Lucky? What, lucky that I've been kidnapped by some psycho with a stupid vendetta and nearly killed?!" she scoffed. "Why don't you just destroy me if that's what you want and get it over with? Because I'd rather not be kept alive if it's with the dark side."  
  
"You don't have a choice, young one," he said, pulling away slightly as he finished building up her strength.  
  
Suddenly she gasped as she felt his lips on her throat. She struggled again, feeling a thrill of horror as he moved down towards her small shoulder, placing feathery kisses against her skin. After a moment, he started to lightly nip at her throat again, just to be annoying. He was just having fun now, and he enjoyed the feeling of Rehteah squirming in his arms, obviously uncomfortable and helpless to stop his unwanted attentions.  
  
//Why is he doing this?// she thought, wondering if he was just teasing her to torment her, or if he really had some other, more sinister inclinations. He grinned down at her as he pulled away again, placing her back on the floor.  
  
"If I had the time, my dear. But for now I have other things to do," he said as he stood up and left the room.   
  
Rehteah moaned as she shifted into a slightly less uncomfortable position, her body protesting her sudden movements. She tried again to reach Qui-Gon through their bond, but she got no response. All she could feel was darkness, threatening to drown her. She sighed tiredly and decided to try and rest for a while, hoping that the Spiritling would not attack her again.  
  
But unfortunately, the creature apparently sensed this from her and came at her again. She felt the vicious, painful stab of something sharp again piercing her skin, and she cried out. "PLEASE! NO MORE! STOP!" she shouted desperately. The Spiritling ignored her, only tightening its grip on her as it again attempted to drain the life from her.   
  
//So this is how I die// she thought dejectedly.  
  
She had to admit, Xanatos couldn't have come up with anything worse than this. But at this point, she had resigned herself to her fate. She wanted to believe that Qui-Gon was indeed coming for her, but she doubted now that he would even be able to find her, much less rescue her before it was too late. She shivered as the Spiritling finally backed off, leaving her cold and broken on the floor. Exhausted from the attack, she let herself drift into a restless sleep.  
*****************************************************************************************************  
  
How much time had passed since she had been imprisoned here? Hours? Days? She didn't know anymore. All she knew was the pain and fear. Her hopes that Qui-Gon would actually find her had faded into almost nothing now. She had the feeling she was never getting out of there. At least not alive, anyway.  
  
Suddenly a door opened and she glanced up with bleary eyes. She had been half-asleep when Xanatos entered the room.   
  
//Force, why can't he just leave me alone to die in peace?// she wondered.  
  
"What do you want now?" she asked sleepily, and yet managing to let more than a little disgust seep into her voice.  
  
Xanatos didn't answer, but instead knelt down on the floor behind her and pulled her to him, holding her tightly against his chest. She struggled, but it didn't do her any good. The Spiritling had taken far too much out of her and she didn't really have anything left in her to fight with. Rehteah gasped as she felt him start to channel his dark energy into her once again. She could feel the darkness wrap itself around her soul, trying to take over her, but she somehow managed to keep it at bay somewhat.  
  
Xanatos' dark midnight black hair brushed against her skin as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Ironic, isn't it, that I am the only one who can comfort your pain and keep you alive?" he said smugly, pressing his cheek against hers mockingly. She shuddered.  
  
"I don't need your so-called 'comfort', Xanatos. You aren't going to get away with this. When Master Qui-Gon comes for me..." she started angrily.  
  
Xanatos laughed. "You honestly think he's going to come after you? I think not, young one. He's abandoned you, just like he did me," he interrupted.  
  
"No, Xanatos. He has not abandoned me. Why should I believe anything you say?" she spat, trying to pull away from him again.  
  
As she did, the flow of dark power became painful again for just a moment before it stopped all together. Xanatos gave her his "storm on the horizon" glare. Then just like he'd done the last time, he began to nip at her throat, slowly moving down to her shoulder with feather-light kisses, just to annoy her. One hand moved up to stroke her fiery hair, while the other held her utterly still against him.  
  
"Please, stop," she begged.  
  
Much to her surprise, and utter relief, he pulled back, gazing down at her with an almost predatory smile. She shuddered. He released his grip on her and settled her back on the floor again and stood up.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't be too relieved, young one. This isn't over yet," he smirked.   
  
Rehteah glared at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?" she demanded.  
  
"It seems that someone's decided to take an interest in meddling in my affairs after all. But don't worry, I'll be back after I've taken care of them," he said as he turned towards the door.  
  
"You won't be back, then!" Rehteah snapped defiantly, hoping to anger Xanatos enough to throw him off guard. "Every time you've fought Qui-Gon, you've had to run away like a coward with your tail between your legs. What makes you think you'll win this time?"  
  
If she was hoping to make him mad, it had definitely worked.He turned back towards her and grabbed her face roughly, forcing her to meet his gaze. His dark sapphire eyes flashed dangerously, burning with a weird blue fire.  
  
"You'd better hope you're wrong, girl," he growled threateningly.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked again, cautiously, her defiance quickly melting away under that intense blue stare. A shiver of fear shot through her, chilling her already cold body.  
  
Wordlessly, Xanatos released his grip on her. She started to back away from him when she suddenly felt something being torn away from her, away from her very soul itself. She collapsed and screamed in agony as her body started convulsing almost violently on the icy stone floor.  
  
Suddenly she understood with frightening clarity just what Xanatos had meant. He had imposed his own dark Force-signature onto her own, binding her to him. Tears streamed down her face as he brought the link back between them. She fell still after a few moments, her labored breathing now coming in short gasps.  
  
"Without me, you'll die. Think about that," he hissed before turning again and leaving the room.  
  
Once she could move again, she curled up in a fetal position, squeezing her haunted blue/gray eyes shut for a moment to hold back her tears. She had recovered from Xanatos' assault by now, but the fear and despair still remained in her heart. Xanatos' words still rang in her ears, haunting her. "Without me, you'll die. Think about that."  
  
She tried one more time to reach out through the bond that she shared with her Master, but it was no use. All she could feel was darkness and Xanatos' Force-signature on her own. She sighed in frustration, giving up on getting through to the bond after a few moments. Laying her head on her pale arms, she closed her eyes and slowly allowed herself to drift into a restless, and yet thankfully dreamless sleep.  
*****************************************************************************************************  
  
A tall figure dressed in the robes of a Jedi Master stepped off of his ship and into the rainy mist that surrounded the Necropolitan cemetery. After five days, this was where his search for his apprentice had finally brought him.  
  
As he let his gaze sweep over the surrounding area, he shivered slightly, pulling his robe closer around him as if he were suddenly cold. Usually he wasn't one to believe in omens, but this time he was quite willing to make an exception. He released his anxiety into the Force, hoping that he was not too late as he started towards the cemetery. He slipped through the gates easily enough, closing them behind him, and let the Force guide him.  
  
Finally he stopped in front of a crypt in the middle of the cemetery. Slowly he pulled open the door and the pale moonlight illuminated the stairway that led down into the crypt itself.  
  
Glancing around to make certain that there was nobody around, he cautiously stepped inside, igniting his lightsaber as he closed the door almost completely behind him. Letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, Qui-Gon reached out through the bond.  
  
After a moment, he got a weak reply tinged with pain and fear. He tried to hold onto it, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. Still, it was enough to let him know that Rehteah was nearby.  
  
He descended the stairway, finally reaching the bottom after what seemed to him like an eternity. He was about to try to contact Rehteah again when a pain-filled, shrill scream ripped across the bond.  
  
*MASTER!*  
  
Qui-Gon's heart stopped for just an instant and his blood ran cold when he heard the scream. He shut his eyes for a moment, putting a hand to his forehead as if he had a sudden migraine. Otherwise he seemed to be paralyzed, frozen to the very spot where he stood.  
  
When he could finally move again, he lifted his ignited blade a little higher, hoping to find out where the scream had come from. The light was dim, but it was just enough for him to be able to see the door on the far side of the room.  
  
He moved towards the door, half-expecting Xanatos to step out of the shadows and attack him at any given moment. But if the determination in his stride was any indication at all, Xanatos was in for some deep trouble when the confrontation finally came.  
  
Finally reaching the door, Qui-Gon tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Holding back a sigh of frustration, he reached out with the Force to unlock it.  
  
After a moment, he heard something in the lock mechanism click and the door slid open, revealing the dimly-lit room beyond. Rehteah lay on the cold, stone floor in the middle of the room, half-conscious. She was paler than usual, and her life force was slowly fading away. He could just barely make out the rise and fall of her chest as she tried to breath. Her pain flooded through their bond towards Qui-Gon.  
  
Stepping inside the room, he moved to her side, shutting off his lightsaber and hooking it back onto his belt as he did so. He dropped to his knees at her side and gently gathered her limp form into his arms. She started struggling desperately in his arms, thinking that it was Xanatos who held her now and tried to push him away from her.  
  
"Please...no more...let me go...please," she muttered feverishly.  
  
"Shh. It's all right, Padawan. I'm here, little one," he whispered. "You're safe now."  
  
This seemed to soothe the terrified girl, for she fell still and drifted into unconsciousness. Qui-Gon held her closer to him, sending a comforting wave of warmth and love over her through their bond. As he did so, he noticed that there was something off about her Force-signature, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was.  
  
"I see you finally found us, Qui-Gon. I must say, you certainly took your own sweet time in getting here," came a mocking voice from somewhere behind him in the darkness.  
  
Qui-Gon turned around and watched as Xanatos emerged from the shadows and came towards them, an evil smile on his face and his eyes blazing with a weird blue fire. Any innocence that might have been there at one time was gone completely. Now there was only darkness.  
  
Qui-Gon let go of Rehteah and stood up, putting himself between her and Xanatos protectively, shielding her from him.  
  
"What have you done to her?" Qui-Gon demanded, his hand straying towards his lightsaber again.  
  
Xanatos shrugged indifferently. "I've done nothing to her. If I had, she would have already been dead. As it is, she's already half-dead. But don't worry, you'll be joining her soon enough," Xanatos smirked.  
  
Qui-Gon wanted nothing more just then than to knock that smug smirk right off of Xanatos' face. The two men stared each other down for a long moment in silence. Finally Qui-Gon spoke, his voice deceptively calm as he broke the silence in the air between them, never once taking his eyes off of his former apprentice.  
  
"Step down, Xanatos. I'm taking Rehteah out of here and I'm not about to let you stop me," he commanded.  
  
Xanatos didn't move. Instead he merely stood there with his pale arms crossed lightly over his chest and leaning almost casually against the wall, staring calmly-too calmly-at Qui-Gon. The smirk on Xanatos' face became even more smug, if such a thing were even possible, and he shook his head, his jet-black hair flying around his face, the dark strands seeming to caress the pale flesh almost seductively. His sapphire eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he remarked casually.  
  
"Why is that?" Qui-Gon asked suspiciously.  
  
"She's bound to me, Qui-Gon. It's the only thing that's keeping her alive right now. The second you take her out of here, I'll let go of my hold on her and she'll die," he answered smugly.  
  
Then, just to prove that he wasn't bluffing, he let his hold on Rehteah start to slip. She cried out in her sleep and her body started to convulse violently. Qui-Gon was at her side in an instant, holding her protectively and trying to ease her pain.  
  
"Stop it, Xanatos! That's enough!" he snapped, glaring at the Dark Jedi.  
  
Xanatos offered another indifferent shrug and brought back the link between them. Rehteah fell motionless once again, collapsing in Qui-Gon's arms. Her breathing became shallow, almost labored, as she lay there.  
  
Off to the side, he noticed Xanatos step away from the wall and move towards them, drawing his lightsaber. Qui-Gon let go of Rehteah and stood up, also drawing his lightsaber and igniting it. For a long time, the only sound to be heard in the small chamber was the ominous humming of their lightsabers as the two men stared each other down.  
  
"This ends now, Qui-Gon," Xanatos hissed.  
  
Without warning, Xanatos lunged at him with a blow that Qui-Gon easily blocked. Sparks flew as crimson and emerald clashed.  
  
After a few moments, Qui-Gon went for Xanatos' unguarded left side, but he blocked it. He went for Qui-Gon again, but the Jedi Master quickly dodged out of the way, making sure to avoid tripping over Rehteah's motionless form.  
  
Xanatos circled Qui-Gon once like a predator closing in for the kill and lunged at him, but Qui-Gon back-flipped over his head, landing gracefully behind Xanatos and the deadly dance continued.  
  
Qui-Gon finally gained the upper hand in the fight, and after a few minutes, he had his former apprentice backed up against the wall and quickly disarmed him, knocking his lightsaber out of his hand and sending it clattering to the floor a few feet away. He pressed the tip of his own emerald blade to Xanatos' throat. He glanced down at the lightsaber, then back up into Qui-Gon's face, a cruel smirk crossing his ghostly pale features despite his current obvious disadvantage.  
  
"You may have won the fight this time, but you won't next time, Qui-Gon, I assure you. I'll see you in Hell," he said.  
  
Then he ducked away from Qui-Gon's blade and took off at a run, calling his fallen lightsaber to him as he disappeared out the door.  
Suddenly Qui-Gon heard a pain-filled scream behind him. He turned and moved quickly to Rehteah's side, gently lifting her into his arms and holding her trembling body close, trying to soothe her pain. He reached out through their bond, wrapping his own Force-signature around hers, keeping it there until he had dissipated the remainder of Xanatos' dark hold on her and she stopped shaking and went limp in his arms again.  
  
Once he had made certain that Rehteah could survive without their Force-signatures being linked that closely, he slowly let go of his hold on her. Then he stood up, still holding her in his arms and left the crypt, grabbing her lightsaber on the way out and clipping it to his belt for the time being.  
  
After a few minutes, they reached their ship. Qui-Gon entered the ship, closing the boarding ramp behind him. He moved into a small room in the back of the transport and lay Rehteah down gently on the bunk, draping a blanket over his shivering Padawan. She moaned once, then fell silent again. Qui-Gon clasped her hand gently in his own and sent waves of love and comfort through their bond.  
  
"It's all right, Rehteah. You're safe now, little one. You'll be all right," he whispered.  
  
Rehteah gave no response other than to sigh quietly in her sleep, for once undisturbed by the freakish dreams, and shifted slightly onto her side. She seemed even younger in that moment that she actually was. Qui-Gon smiled tenderly at her, though his heart broke to see her like that. He shuddered to think of just how close he had come to losing her. He didn't think he could bear it if that ever happened. She had somehow worked her way into his heart and now she was like the daughter he'd never had.  
  
No, he couldn't bear to lose her.  
  
Just then, his comlink beeped, startling Qui-Gon out of his reverie. "Yes? Jinn speaking," he said.  
  
A second later, the pilot's voice came through on the other end of the line. She was a pretty young Twi'lek in her early 20's, with pale, lavender skin, two head-tails instead of hair that had a tendency to twitch almost nervously from where they lay draped around her small shoulders, and exotic silver eyes. Her lilting, musical voice had a peculiar accent to it that Qui-Gon couldn't place, but it definitely wasn't of her homeworld of Ryloth.  
  
"Did you find your apprentice, Master Jinn?" the pilot asked, and Qui-Gon could hear the thinly-veiled eagerness to get out of there.  
  
He didn't blame her at all.  
  
"Yes, I found her. We're both on board now. Go ahead and take off," he said.  
  
"Sure thing. Saria out," she said and cut the connection.  
  
Qui-Gon cut the connection on his end and turned his attention back to his sleeping apprentice. After a few moments, he felt the familiar vibration as the transport left the ground, also leaving behind the memory of a backwards, morbid world called Necropolis.  
  
Qui-Gon stared out the viewport for a long time, taking solace in the view of the stars shifting around them as the ship entered lightspeed, and the knowledge that Rehteah was safe and things could go back to normal. He glanced back at the girl who still slept peacefully for a minute before opening the connection on the comlink again and contacting the Council to let them know that they were returning and also to have a Healer waiting for them when they landed.  
  
"Is she all right, Qui-Gon?" Mace asked, his voice filled with concern.  
  
"Yes, she will be in time. She's been through a lot the last few days, though even I'm not certain of the full extent of it. She was half-dead when I found her," Qui-Gon said quietly.  
  
"All right. We'll be waiting for you," Mace replied.  
  
"Thanks, Mace. Jinn out," he said, cutting the connection and returning to his vigil.  
************************************************************************************************************************  
  
When they arrived back at the Temple finally, two Healers, along with Mace Windu and Yoda, were waiting for them on the landing pad.  
  
As soon as the ship touched the ground, Qui-Gon gathered the still-unconscious Rehteah into his arms and left the transport. He nodded in greeting as he approached the others. He handed Rehteah over to the Healers and a quiet noise escaped her as she slept, but she gave no other response as she was placed gently on a gurney.   
  
"Qui-Gon, the Council wants to speak with you immediately," Mace spoke up.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded and turned to speak to the Healers. "If she wakes up before I get back, tell her I had to meet with the Council, and I'll be there as soon as I can," he said quietly.  
  
The young woman nodded and gestured to her companion. Together they pushed the gurney into the Temple, Qui-Gon and the two Council members following closely behind them.  
  
Just before they moved into another corridor towards the Healer's Wing, the young woman who Qui-Gon had spoken to reached over and rested her hand briefly on his arm. She looked up at him with a look of understanding in her pretty green eyes.  
  
"Don't worry. We'll do everything we can. She'll be all right," she said reassuringly.  
  
"I know," Qui-Gon said quietly.  
  
With that, they went their separate ways.  
************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Two hours later, Qui-Gon made his way quickly through the corridors towards the Healer's Wing. The meeting with the Council had gone longer than he'd expected it to. After about the first half hour or so, he'd found himself wondering if he would ever get out of there.  
  
Finally he reached the Healer's Wing. He walked in and a moment later he was greeted by an older human in his early fourties, with kind brown eyes and short black with streaks of silver that was really more salt than pepper colored.  
  
"How is she, Jeric?" Qui-Gon asked.  
  
"We've got her stabilized now. She's resting right now. We ran some tests, and from the looks of things, it appears that she was attacked more than once by a Spiritling. There's also most likely been some psychological damage done, but nothing that a few sessions with a Soul Healer wouldn't take care of. She's been through a lot, so I wouldn't suggest having her do anything too strenuous as far as her training goes for at least a week, maybe two at the most. We're going to keep her here overnight for observation, but you can take her home in the morning," Jeric explained.  
  
"Has she woken up yet?" Qui-Gon asked.  
  
"No, not yet, but I don't expect it to be too much longer before she does," Jeric answered.  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
Jeric nodded. "Of course. Follow me," he replied.  
  
He led Qui-Gon to a small room. Inside was some medical equipment, a light over the single bed set on dim, and two chairs, one on either side of the bed. Garin, Rehteah's boyfriend, sat on the side farthest from the door, clasping her hand in his with his forehead pressed lightly against hers. He glanced up as Qui-Gon and the doctor entered the room and Qui-Gon sat down on the other side of the bed and clasped Rehteah's other hand in his.  
  
Qui-Gon looked down at the comatose girl, then over at the boy who had again pressed his forehead to hers as though he thought that alone could wake her up. His brown eyes were red and puffed, and shimmered from the tears that had streamed down his lightly-tanned cheeks, and his ginger-colored hair hung down in his face somewhat. Qui-Gon reached over with his other hand and rested it lightly on Garin's shoulder. Garin glanced up at him, startled.  
  
Neither saw Jeric leave the room.  
  
"Will she be all right?" Garin asked.  
  
Qui-Gon actually managed a smile. "She will be in time. She's been through a lot the last few days," he replied, trying to put the boy at ease a little.  
  
Garin looked down at Rehteah again and sighed sadly. "I hope so. Healer Jeric said she was attacked several times by a Spiritling and almost died," he said quietly, almost to himself.  
  
Just then, Rehteah let out a soft, agonized moan, the first sound or movement that she'd made in the last two hours. Qui-Gon and Garin exchanged glances and watched Rehteah anxiously, waiting for something to happen.  
  
"Garin, go get Jeric. Tell him she's waking up. Hurry," Qui-Gon said.  
  
Garin nodded, reluctantly letting go of Rehteah's hand, and ran from the room. Frantic shouts of "Healer Jeric! Healer Jeric! Come quick!" could be heard echoing through the hallways. Qui-Gon barely took any notice of it at all. All of his attention was focused on his Padawan.  
  
Rehteah stirred then, and her eyes fluttered open. She shook her head as if to try to clear it.  
"Hmm? What? Where am I?" she muttered quietly under her breath, but it was loud enough for Qui-Gon to hear her.  
  
She tried to sit up, but the second that she did so, she felt a strong pair of hands push her back down gently into the pillow beneath her. Still disoriented, she panicked and started struggling desperately against those hands, thinking that it was Xanatos who held her. Her breathing became shallow with her fear and her pretty blue-gray eyes went wide in terror.  
  
"Shh. It's all right, Rehteah. It's just me, Padawan. I'm here. You're safe now, little one," Qui-Gon whispered softly, so as not to frighten her more than she obviously was.  
  
This seemed to soothe the confused girl, for she stilled and looked up at Qui-Gon. Tears filled her eyes unbidden, but did not fall, and Master and Padawan embraced in relief as Garin and Jeric entered the room and stood back, watching the touching scene before them in silence.  
  
"I thought I'd lost you, Padawan," Qui-Gon whispered.  
  
Rehteah shook with the tears that she now allowed to flow freely down her pale cheeks as she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes as she spoke, willing herself to stop trembling.  
  
"I thought I'd never see you again, Master. I was so sure he was going to kill me," Rehteah said softly, almost to herself.  
  
After another moment, they pulled away, and Rehteah lay back down again as Jeric and Garin approached. Qui-Gon moved over and Garin stepped to Rehteah's side, now standing where Qui-Gon had been. He pressed his forehead gently against hers and kissed her cheek.  
  
"I'm glad you're all right, love," he said quietly.  
  
She managed a weak smile. "I will be now that I'm home. God, I never thought I'd see it or any of you again. I thought I was going to die in that crypt," she whispered.  
  
Jeric hid a smile as he checked the girl's vital signs. He cast a quick glance at the two Padawans who were still huddled together, whispering in hushed tones, and Qui-Gon, who stood watching them protectively in silence.   
  
Rehteah had endeared herself to the hearts of many of the Jedi, including most of the Council members, but especially to Qui-Gon and Garin.  
  
After a few minutes, Jeric broke into their conversation. Rehteah glanced up in surprise, almost as if she had forgotten that he was even still there.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Jeric asked.  
  
She offered a slight shrug. "Like I've been run over by a speeder," she said.  
  
"That's understandable. You're fortunate that you were found in time. You'll be stiff and sore for a while, so I've advised Master Jinn to take it easy on you as far as your training goes for about two weeks. I also think it would be a good idea for you spend a few sessions with a Soul Healer. I want to keep you here tonight, just to absolutely certain that you're going to be all right, but you can go home in the morning," he explained.  
  
For a moment, Rehteah looked as though she was about to protest to the very suggestion of her staying in the Healer's Wing overnight. It wasn't anything personal against anyone, really; it was more the fact that she just hated the idea of being stuck in the Healer's Wing.  
  
The words finally died on her lips, though, and she nodded reluctantly.  
  
"All right," she said softly.  
  
"Good. I have some other patients that I need to go check on, but I'll be back later to see how you're doing. If you need anything, just let me know, and try to get some rest," Jeric said.  
  
"I'll try," she said, realizing her mistake when she saw the mischievous gleam in Garin's eyes.  
  
"Try not, love. Do or do not. There is no try," Garin teased, doing his best impression of Master Yoda.  
  
Jeric laughed as he walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him and thinking to himself, //Those three are going to be the death of me one of these days.//  
  
"Oh, you are *so* in the doghouse, braidboy," she commented, swatting at him and managing to whack him lightly on the back of the head before he ducked out of the way.  
  
"Hey, what was that for?" Garin asked, giving her a mock-pout.  
  
"You deserved it, that's why," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Bratling," he muttered, tugging lightly on her braid.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey! OFF THE BRAID!" she said mock-indignantly.  
  
He grinned and let go of the braid, stepping back just a bit. He put his hands up defensively and glanced over at the chrono on the wall and sighed.  
  
"I've got to get going, but if you feel up to it, I'll try to come by tomorrow for a while," Garin said quietly, becoming serious again.  
  
Rehteah nodded. "We'll see, maybe. I guess I'll see you later then. Thanks for being here. I love you," she whispered.  
  
"I love you, too," he said.  
  
Gently he kissed her forehead, then turned away and walked out the door. She watched him go, then leaned back further into the pillow and closed her eyes.  
  
After a minute or so, she glanced up at Qui-Gon as he sat back down in the chair beside her bed again. He took her smaller hand in his own again and she smiled at him, giving his hand a light squeeze as if to reassure him that she would be all right.  
"I knew you'd come for me," she said.  
  
"Of course, little one. I would never abandon you," he said.  
  
"I know," she replied.  
  
She fell silent for a long time and Qui-Gon thought that maybe she'd fallen asleep. He could tell that she was starting to get drowsy, and her eyes were closed again. But she looked over at him again as a stray thought occured to her.  
  
"Master?"  
  
"Yes, Padawan?"  
  
Rehteah hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Just out of curiosity, what happened to Xanatos?" she asked. "The last thing I remember was being able to briefly touch our bond again."  
  
"We fought, but he was able to get away. He always has a back door," Qui-Gon explained, his blue eyes haunted.  
  
"So he's still out there somewhere?" Rehteah asked, her voice no more than a frightened whisper as she shuddered involuntarily.  
  
"The Coucil is sending out a team to find him," Qui-Gon soothed.  
  
"What if they don't find him, Master? What if he comes back?" she asked.  
  
"Rehteah, look at me, little one," Qui-Gon said, trying to calm the distraught girl.  
  
She didn't move or give any other indication that she had even heard him. Instead, she merely stared at her trembling hands in her lap. Her eyes became haunted and distant, staring into nothingness.  
  
Qui-Gon reached over and gently cupped her chin in his hand and tipped her face up to his. She let her eyes remain downcast for a few more seconds, then she finally looked up and met that warm blue gaze.  
  
"Teah," he started, and she smiled a little in spite of herself at his use of the old nickname that he'd had for her since he'd taken her as his Padawan when she was only five-years-old. "He will not hurt you again, I promise you. I won't let anything happen to you," Qui-Gon said solemnly.   
  
"I know, Master. It's not a question of faith. It's just that...I don't know. Maybe I'm just being paranoid," she muttered.  
  
"No, you're not being paranoid, little one. You've been through a lot, and it's going to take time for you to heal, both physically and emotionally. But you are not alone. We'll get through this together, okay?" Qui-Gon said reassuringly.  
  
Rehteah nodded and let her eyes close. She lay back into the soft pillow again as Qui-Gon let go of her, one hand still resting on her arm and massaging lightly in a comforting gesture. She let out a quiet noise, almost a sigh, and then her breathing slowly evened out and became deeper as she drifted into unconsciousness again.  
  
Qui-Gon stood up and gently kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, Padawan. I'll be back for you in the morning," he whispered, knowing that she wouldn't hear him, but saying it anyway as he unclipped her lightsaber from his belt and placing it on the table next to him.  
  
Then he turned and walked towards the door. He turned back for just a moment and cast one more glance at the girl sleeping peacefully now in the bed across the room. He smiled and walked out of the room then, shutting off the lights and closing the door quietly behind him so she could get some sleep and left the Healer's ward.  
  
Yes, they would get through this together. Everything was going to be just fine now.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~  
  
*el fin*  
  
Well? What do you think? love it, hate it, or just want to know what this person is on? R&R please!!! I'M NOT KIDDING!!! DON'T MAKE ME BEG!!!! And no flames please!!!!! This was just a weird little plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone one night after I was reading some fic on the Jedi Apprentice fanfic archive. BLAME IT, NOT ME!!!!!! 


End file.
